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Alabama cyber school outlines outreach, teacher training and statewide cyber range plans
Summary
Matt Massey, president of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, briefed the committee on two budget line items: an Excel outreach/cyber camp program and a statewide cyber range for training students and colleges; lawmakers asked about partnerships and resiliency.
Matt Massey, president of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, told the committee the school is seeking funding for two line items: an Excel outreach program that runs cyber camps and professional development across the state and a statewide cyber range that provides a secure environment for defensive cyber training.
Massey said the Excel outreach program has partnered with more than a dozen school districts and reached more than 50 schools; the program sends staff and technology to K–12 schools to run day-time cyber camps targeting middle grades. He also said the school is providing professional development and curriculum support — including an AI course currently in the State Department of Education course of study — and is helping train teachers to deliver that curriculum.
On the cyber range, Massey described a platform that models real-world networks for defensive and offensive exercises and said several other states have invested $4 million to $8 million annually in similar infrastructure. He told the committee the school is piloting access for 10 Alabama Community College System (ACCS) campuses and is discussing expansion to four-year institutions so districts and colleges statewide can use the lab for training and workforce development.
Senators asked about the school’s role in statewide cybersecurity resilience and whether the platform could help agencies recover from intrusions. Massey said the school is collaborating with the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and the State Department of Education on curriculum and resiliency efforts and emphasized that cyber defense requires monitoring, backups and recovery planning.
The chair encouraged members to invite the school to present in their districts; Massey said he would coordinate outreach and thanked the committee for past support for the schools’ statewide mission.
